3cf8d30a   
   On Sunday, June 16, 1996 at 11:00:00 PM UTC-8, Christine Barnes wrote:   
   > I'm trying to find who wrote the following song and when it was written.     
   > It seems to have a German influence in the names Frankfurt am Main and    
   > Walburgis (a German festival), but the tune sounds Elizabethan.   
   >    
   >    
   > There once was a fiddler in Frankfurt am Main,   
   > His back had a hump, but his fiddling was fine,   
   > On the way to his house,   
   > He crossed the square, he crossed the square,   
   > A crowd of lovely ladies was gathering there.   
   >    
   > You poor hunchback fiddler come play us a tune,   
   > We promise to grant you a worthier spoon,   
   > Play a polka or waltz,   
   > So gay and bright, so gay and bright,   
   > For we are celebrating Walburgis tonight.   
   >    
   > The fiddler began how the fiddle did sing,   
   > The ladies went dancing around in a ring,   
   > When the fiddle had played,   
   > The fine old chord, the fine old chord,   
   > One lady said "Oh fiddler, come claim your reward"   
   >    
   > She tapped on his shoulder and counted to ten,   
   > The fiddler stood slender and tall once again,   
   > "Oh, I'll fiddle no more",   
   > Cried he with glee, cried he with glee,   
   > "For now the pretty maids will go dancing with me."   
   >    
   > Many thanks,   
   > Christine.   
   >    
   > *********************************************************************   
   > Christine Barnes		  *   Telephone: +61 6 201 5278   
   > Faculty Liaison Librarian	  *   Fax: +61 6 201 5068   
   > University of Canberra Library	  *   E-Mail: crb@isd.canberra.edu.au   
   > *********************************************************************   
      
   apparently it was written by Johannes Brahms a very long time ago.  When I was   
   in high school in the 1950's I was in a madrigal group that sang this song and   
   I still remember it very well. Your wording is exactly as we sang it.    
   Elsewhere I have seen an    
   English translation of the German that may be more accurate, but definitely   
   less interesting.  Since then I have worked up a violin accompaniment  to go   
   with it while keeping the focus on the words rather than the instrument. It is   
   one of my favorite    
   folk songs.  Thanks for asking.   
      
   Clyde   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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